Path To Radiance
by Natsumiya Teirin
Summary: In every world, Sakuraba Neku and Kiryuu Yoshiya are or were together in some way. But "together" is not synonymous with "happy". This is the story of a god with an unhealthy obsession, and of a boy who got the answers to his questions, but at a price he was never willing to pay. Dark NeJo, some EriShi. Yaoi, yuri. Yandere tyrant Joshua x canon!Neku x canon!Joshua. World-crossing.
1. Chapter 1

_There is an infinite number of universes, and an infinite number of possibilities. While there is never one where Neku pulled the trigger, in these worlds, there is or has been at some point a Sakuraba Neku and a Kiryuu "Joshua" Yoshiya._

 _With this, it is surmised that these two are forever destined to be bound in some way, through any circumstances._

 _But being together does not necessarily have to be a happy promise, or even a mutual one._

 _ **A story of a Composer obsessed with power, a man who wants to save his home, and of a boy who got what he wished for, but for a price he was never willing to pay.**_

 **The sky was** dark and stormy. Bundled up in a heavy blanket, fifteen year old Sakuraba Neku watched through the window as lightning flashed in a brilliant purple display. In the kitchen, his friend Shiki was preparing two cups of hot cocoa, the both of them preferring the bitterness of that over hot chocolate, to go with their bowls of carrot and walnut soup.

"Guess someone took a whizz in His cereal today," Neku said with a frown. It'd been like this since sometime around 3 in the morning. It was now noon, and the weather showed no signs of letting up.

No doubt the Composer was angry.

Being at the edge of Shibuya, in the Residential Grounds (RG), they were relatively safe (which was more than could be said for those in the United Ground (the UG) and the Highest Grounds (HG- the capital of Shibuya) and Neku didn't even want to think about the high priest and the Oracle, who were closest to Him), but still, they'd decided to stay inside to wait it out. Rhyme and Beat had already eaten, and were in the basement with Eri, laughing about something.

"Yeah, sure seems like it," Shiki said, setting a tray down beside her friend and housemate. She then grabbed another blanket from the closet and curled up beside him.

"...How long do you think it'll last?"

"...I dunno. I've never seen Him this angry before."

They quieted down as a burst of thunder sounded, followed a few seconds later by another bolt of lightning close to their home.

OoO

Neku suddenly appeared in Shibuya escorted by two Harriers- Kariya and Uzuki, two of the higher Reapers- with no knowledge of how he'd even gotten there. They were going to bring him to the Composer to see what should be done with the amnesiac stranger who'd abruptly appeared in the middle of their patrol route, but were intercepted by High Priest Hanekoma.

"Take him to the RG and see if anyone would be willing to take him in. Only if no one is found will you take him to the Composer."

So the two Harriers took him to the RG, where Shiki, her friend Eri, and the Bitou siblings had offered to share their crowded living space with him.

It was strange at first, being surrounded by so many people, but Rhyme told stories, Beat cooked the best food, Shiki sewed warm clothes, and Eri was always able to cheer them up when things seemed bad (and they often did).

Once upon a time, Neku wondered why things were this way. So Rhyme told him about the Composer.

He was a god. The god of Shibuya. The god of music, and art, and creativity, and imagination. The god of death.

He came to Shibuya thousands of years ago, at a time when the land was less than it was now, and when humanity was plagued with Noise- monsters born from the fears of mankind. When He came, the Noise abruptly vanished, and He claimed to have absorbed them into Himself, stealing their energy and giving them new lives as the soulless denizens of the forests around Shibuya.

Thankful, the people of Shibuya worshipped Him, praying for His blessings and bestowing all their problems unto Him, so that He could feed from their negativity and gain more power to Erase the Noise. And for many years, things were peaceful, and what the Composer took from humanity's negativity, He gave back threefold in bountiful harvests and victorious battles.

But then, some time after fending off a hoard of strange dark creatures (not Noise, but not anything else anyone recognized), things changed. It was as if the Composer, in the fight, had lost all sense of mercy and light. He demanded tributes to be sacrificed. He demanded offerings- two thirds the yearly harvests, and any and all precious metals and stones that were to be found in Shibuya. He demanded temples and churches and statues built for Him, and that all people of Shibuya gather three times a day to worship Him. There would be no books, music, or art unless the creators got His approval, and to do that, they must have had to place Him throughout at least half the book or musical piece, while any art was to make Him the centerpiece. And all of this was to portray Him as a beautiful, benevolent, holy figure.

To disobey meant death.

OoO

"Hey, it's almost time for the tribute ceremony, isn't it?"

"Yeah. But we won't be able to do it till the weather gets better."

Neku nodded his head as the sounds of laughter moved closer, up to the main living area.

Even though this would be the third ceremony since his arrival, he'd never actually been to one before. He'd been told to stay home, since it was the common belief that foreigners, until they came to accept Shibuya as home, would unintentionally produce a music inharmonious with that of the rest of Shibuya. It was expected that the integration process would take at least three weeks, with the belief that foreigners would at least grow curious about the ceremony (which took place every Sunday), and would aspire to become a part of Shibuya for that reason, at the very least.

So, it'd been three weeks. In that time, Neku, with no memories of where he'd come from, didn't have much of a choice outside integration. Especially not after Shiki and her friends had so generously taken him in- because who knew what the Composer would do to him otherwise?

As the storm lightened up a little, Neku turned to Shiki.

"Hey...how do the ceremonies work, anyway?"

The bespectacled brunette held up a finger in thought, as she decided on the best way to explain it.

"Well, first, the Oracle- or the Conductor, as some call him- comes out to the RG- since only RG citizens can be tributes. Then, we all go to meet him at the gate separating the RG from the UG. The Conductor gives a speech, then the Composer speaks through him and declares who he wants to be the week's tribute. The Conductor then takes that person with them, presumably to the HG, and then-"

"That person is never seen or heard from again, and the Producer comes back next Sunday," an especially girlish voice finished. Eri came up and moved to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Shiki pouted.

"Eri! You ruined it!"

"Sorry!" She called back over the sound of the running sink faucet, though she didn't sound sorry at all.

"Hmph. Whatever."

Leaving the two to their friendly banter, Neku slid his headphones on. They were all he had with him when he arrived, along with an old flip-up cell phone that really only worked to play music. Speaking of which...

When he'd first felt the phone in his pocket and looked through it, before running into those Reapers, there were only two songs on it- "Calling" and "Twister". But as soon as he'd accepted Shiki and Eri's offer to stay with them, his phone rang and when he checked it, there were several new songs that had been added to his default playlist that certainly weren't there before- "Tatakai", "Long Dream", "Make Or Break", "Give Me All Your Love", "Run Away", and "Shibuya", just to name a few.

Maybe it was just some weird Composer integration power...or something.

But despite the many songs that'd been added, Neku found himself content, this time, to just listen to the muffled sounds of life around him- of Shiki and Eri playfully squabbling between the kitchen and the living room, of Beat and Rhyme practicing their comedy routine in the basement, and of the rain pitter-pattering against the house.

These were the sounds of home.

OoO

Gradually, the weather softened, so by the time Neku and the others left the house for the weekly ceremony, it was just a light drizzle.

Standing on stone pedestals at either side of the gate, the golden statues of the Composer in His winged and omniscient glory watched over everything, shining as brightly as ever. Standing atop the left pedestal, directly in front of the statue, the Conductor seemed like a speck of black from Neku's position somewhere in the middle of the crowd.

The hooded figure bowed his head with his back to the audience and clasped his gloved hands. He began to lead them in the tributary prayer.

"Good Composer; He who has created our souls, and who shall judge us and allow us to join in His eternal music, we pray for Your forgiveness for our sins, and ask that You bestow upon us Your blessings for this, the choosing of a soul that might best satisfy You."

The crowd followed up with a collective "Amen", and the Conductor turned away from the statue to face them again.

"People of Shibuya, for thousands of years, we've lived under the protection of our generous Composer, and so, it is the least we can do to obey Him and worship Him as He deserves. And so, today, like every Sunday, we who live in relative separation have joined together once more, to worship Him as one, and to offer ourselves to Him, so that He, our heavenly Shepherd, might continue to rain His blessings upon us, who are His humble sheep."

A reverent silence overcame the crowd, and Neku almost asked what was going on- but refrained, not wanting to break it.

The Conductor fell to his knees, his expression one of ecstasy, and tilted his face skyward.

"Composer! Do with this body what You will, and tell us, Your flock, what You desire, so we may properly worship You!"

As he spoke, the clouds above him parted, and a golden light shone down from the heavens, enveloping him.

Then, silently, stiffly, robotically almost, the Conductor stood up. His eyes glowed, piercing through the darkness and shadows of the Conductor's hooded face, and Neku _felt_ them staring into his very soul.

He fidgeted where he was pressed against Shiki in the mass of people, but if she even noticed, she didn't say.

There was another moment of dramatic silence, until finally, the Composer, in the Conductor's body, came to a decision.

"I demand Sakuraba Neku as tribute."


	2. Chapter 2

Neku felt his heart skip. This was just some twisted dream, right? But no- Shiki's panicked eyes said this was very much real.

Beat nudged his back, but Neku hardly felt it. How strange it was, that the first ceremony he was allowed to attend in person, _he_ was chosen as tribute.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't refuse this. It seemed his new friends understood this, too. They never even considered that _he_ might be chosen- at least, not so soon- but what could they do against an entire town? Against a _god_?

 _Just walk. You can't exactly fight this, can you?_

The voice that had entered his head was noticeably foreign, and Neku knew that should've alarmed him, but the tone quality was smooth, flowing like water, comforting. He felt pressed to obey- to do anything to appease the owner of this soothing, gentle voice.

So he walked and as the crowd parted, they muttered and whispered amongst themselves.

Foreigners were rarely chosen so soon after they were integrated into Shibuya's music.

But their murmuring came to him as if through a filter- grainy and somewhat muffled.

Finally, after what felt like hours, though it could've just as easily been a few moments, Neku was standing beside the Conductor. He bowed, low and deep, to a muffled applause, and the Conductor's eyes seemed to have regained their normal non-glowing quality.

"Behold! He who our Composer has deemed worthy to join Him in eternity!"

The applause escalated to loud cheering, but as Neku scanned the audience, he saw that his friends and (now former) housemates were neither clapping nor cheering.

 _Don't pay attention to them, Neku. They're part of your past, and you'll never see them again. May as well spare yourself the heartache._

He averted his gaze as two Harriers- Kariya on his right and Uzuki on his left- gingerly grabbed his arms, and he was led through the gate to the UG.

OoO

Kariya and Uzuki. He remembered them from when he first arrived in Shibuya. Uzuki seemed more tense than he remembered, but Kariya seemed just as laid back as back then.

They balanced each other well, and Neku had the feeling that they got along well both on and off the field.

Their footsteps fell onto the concrete in perfect synch as they half-dragged Neku along with them.

Kariya yawned.

"Ugh...rainy days always make me sleepy..." he complained.

Uzuki huffed.

"Well then, I guess it just sucks to be you, doesn't it? _I'm_ wide awake! Someone's gotta be, with how moody He's been lately."

Ah. That explained why the pinkette was so on edge.

Deep down, Neku knew he should've felt scared, or at least nervous, as he was marched towards his uncertain fate. And yet, he felt perfectly calm- relaxed and confident, as the beatific voice inside his head assured him that everything would be fine.

 _The Composer looks after this city and protects it. Why would He want to hurt those he'd been protecting for so long? It would be very counterproductive, wouldn't it? So you'll be fine, Neku- safe from anything and everything that could possibly mean you harm._

And maybe in another context, those words might've been somewhat creepy, but in his current situation, that promise of safety was what kept Neku from completely flipping his lid.

So the two Harriers fell silent, and Neku felt it as they neared the gate to the HG much quicker than he was anticipating.

Kariya and Uzuki let go of him and addressed the grey-cloaked figure at the gate's entrance.

"We come bearing this week's tribute. Please accept our humble offering and yada yada yada," Kariya said nonchalantly as he pushed Neku towards the stranger. The cloaked person caught him as he stumbled, and from his vintage point, Neku could make out a bit of stubble on his chin.

"You're tribute's been accepted. He'll be pleased. Now, return to your duties."

A dismissal, clear as day.

Neku turned his head and just caught the tails of the Harrier's black coats as they left.

Once they were through the gate and back in the UG, the unfamiliar man gently forced Neku back a few steps, and the blond realized he was practically hugging him. His cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment, but he didn't apologize. He _wanted_ to- and he wanted to ask what was going on, why he was chosen, and who this creepy guy was- but it was like a giant glob of peanut butter had gotten stuck in his mouth, and he found himself unable to form his thoughts and questions into coherent sentences, let alone get them _out_.

As if sensing his internal thoughts- though he was most likely just being polite- the man let down his hood, revealing a pair of circular shades and somewhat scruffy black hair. Somehow, he looked familiar.

"Hey there, Phones. You can call me Mr. H. Everyone else does."

And maybe it was his easygoing voice, or maybe his slightly unkempt (but by no means unprofessional) appearance, but _something_ about him compelled Neku to speak- maybe not as eloquently as he could've, but with how Mr. H and Kariya spoke to each other, he figured that didn't really matter.

"Um...okay...so...Mr. H...what's gonna happen to me?"

The man beckoned for Neku to follow as he started walking.

"Well, first we'll get you cleaned up and dressed in something more appropriate," he said as Neku trailed behind him," then you'll be introduced to the Composer, and if you're _lucky_ , He'll kill you, quick and painless."

Neku hesitated. "And...if I'm _un_ lucky?"

"Then He'll keep you alive for as long as He can, never granting you the mercy of death."

OoO

Neku was led into a large bathroom lined with mostly blue and white tiles. The wall farthest from the door, however, was made of glass, and through that, Neku could see various types of fish swimming around.

 _Well_ that's _not creepy at all. Nope. Not a bit_ , Neku thought sarcastically as he stripped and stepped into the cubicle. There wasn't even a curtain, and thus, no way to avoid potential embarrassment.

 _Oh wait. There_ is _no 'potential' about it because I've already made a total ass of myself today._

He sighed and turned the shower on, letting the hot water fall down his bare skin as he turned to face the fish.

 _At least_ fish _can't talk._

So, left with only the fish for company, with his back to the door (and jerkish shower placement is jerkish), Neku began washing himself with soap that smelled strongly of vanilla and shampoo that made him think of honeyed peaches.

When he was finished about ten minutes later, he found that someone-probably, _hopefully_ Mr. H- had left a towel on the counter, along with a clean set of clothes.

The clothes didn't look very fancy- just a white long sleeved shirt and matching pants that felt just a little loose around his waist- but the material they were made of was very soft and comfortable. These were clothes he wouldn't mind sleeping in.

 _Or dying in, for that matter._

There was also a pair of slippers, which Neku reluctantly slipped on, though the act of replacing his shoes with simple house slippers- or rather, of being forced to- felt too much like a "welcome home" than he was comfortable with.

 _But until you die, this'll be your home, whether you like it or not._

A knock sounded on the door. "Phones, you decent?"

"Yeah!"

The door opened, and Mr. H poked his head in.

"C'mon kid. He doesn't like to be kept waiting longer than necessary, and...He's been really anxious to meet you."

Neku nodded, and then a thought occurred to him.

"Hold on- 'meet'? But if He's a god, shouldn't He already know everything there is to know about me? You said something similar before, too- that I'd be 'introduced' to the Composer. Why would He need to meet someone He already knows everything about?"

Mr. H appeared to hesitate in his response.

"Ehh...it's just a formality- more for the..." _the sacrifices_ "well, I mean, if I were in your place, I'd wanna at least see the face of the god who's gonna kill me, right?"

 _I guess that makes sense..._

But Neku couldn't shake off that Mr. H had _hesitated_. As if he knew he'd just slipped up in some way.

OoO

He was dimly aware of the rest of the short journey, only snapping out of it as they reached the heavy wooden doors to the so-called Room of Reckoning, and Mr. H reached around him to place a shining metal collar around his neck.

"It's a sort of protective measure," Mr. H said, "so that if anything unexpected happens, we'll be able to find you again."

"O...kay?"

Mr. H shrugged. "Don't think on it too much, Phones. I don't think He'd let you get hurt."

And that sounded strange, too, so Neku put it on his mental list of suspicious things suspicious people said to him, right up there with "Introduced to the Composer".

Mr. H looked at him, long and hard.

"You ready for this, Neku?"

Neku nodded and swallowed a nervous lump in his throat.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With an indiscernible expression, Mr. H pushed the doors open. Neku tried to push down the foreboding feeling in his gut, and prepared to face his fate.


	3. Chapter 3

Approximately two weeks prior, in a similar but drastically different Shibuya, a composer and his producer were seated in a ramen shop.

Just a few seats away from them, Neku listened with a frown on his face.

"So, you've searched all the worlds you have the power to access, and even the higher planes, and you still haven't found your version of me?"

Sanae nodded his head, his expression grave.

"Pretty much, Phones. And we have a game week coming up, and if he's not there, it'll mess everything up. "

"O...kaay...so, why are you coming to me for help? _I'm_ not involved in your game- I'm not even involved in _this_ one- so shouldn't you be talking to _this_ world's Composer? Or at least this world's version of yourselves?"

At that, Sanae looked sheepish.

"Well...mine...isn't exactly happy with me at the moment, and Yoshiya is..."

"He was busy and kindly asked me to leave," said Joshua, who'd been silent till then, "and the Composer of this world...probably wouldn't appreciate getting dragged into my world's problems."

Neku's frown seemed to deepen.

"...just ask him. I've got it on Pink's word that he's always ready and willing to help anyone he can."

"You seem awfully certain of that, Neku," Joshua said with what might've been skepticism.

Neku just repeated what Pink had said to him before: "Well, why _else_ would this Shibuya be so peaceful all the time?"

Joshua was silent as he considered this Neku's words, and didn't speak for a couple minutes.

"...very well," he said with a sigh, "Sanae, if you would."

"Got it, boss." Sanae leaned over the counter. "Hey, Ken-dono! Got a minute?"

OoO

The Room of Reckoning was...not at all what Neku was expecting.

He was thinking it would be some place grey and dull and dark. Some place more...ominous. But this place was more colorful and bright; the walls looked as if they were made of gold, and were adorned with various jewels and bejewelled pieces of metalwork. The throne, too, was made up of gold and jewels, and lined with red cushions that looked like they'd be pretty comfortable.

Behind the throne was a stained glass window depicting a tall white figure with equally white, skeletal wings embracing a smaller figure (which looked suspiciously like _himself_ ) with fluffy, feathery black wings.

And standing at the center of this room, tall and imposing and _blinding_ , as if _made_ of light, was the Composer.

He was facing the door, so He was the first person (being? Entity?) Neku saw when he entered, and the young human tried not to notice how His eyes (technically, where His eyes would've been had Neku been able to make out more than His humanoid silhouette) bore right into his soul.

"Sanae. Leave us."

And there was that voice that'd been in his head so much these last few hours- that voice that demanded with its mere presence that Neku _obey_.

Mr. H- Sanae- left quietly, his footsteps silent against the stone floor.

It was just Him and Neku now, and in the presence of a god, Neku suddenly felt worthless- as if he were just a speck of dust floating on the cosmic winds of the universe- of the _multiverse_ , even.

"Sakuraba Neku..." the Composer spoke, and Neku thought he heard maybe just a tiny bit of fondness there.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? I trust your time in my garden of Eden has been well?"

Neku could be forgiven for taking a minute to answer.

"Y-Yes, it has been, sir."

The Composer chuckled, and it sounded like the tinkling of bells. Apparently Neku's nervousness and anxiety _was_ that obvious.

"So formal- not that I'd ask for less of anyone else, however, you are you, so please, call me Yosha."

His mind kept wanting to edit that name, first to "Yoshiya", and then to "Yoshua", but he managed-barely- to keep from saying them aloud.

"As you wish, si- Yosha."

A somewhat condescending smirk appeared in his mind's eye, and the blond thought Yosha might've sent him the visual, knowing he couldn't actually see His face that well.

"My, you do learn fast, don't you? A useful trait if you're going to be in my service."

Wait what?

"Your...service..." He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know what that entailed.

Another chuckle, along with a more obviously condescending smirk.

"Naturally, Neku dear," He moved to sit in His throne. Neku stayed where he was as He continued, "I don't just erase everyone who's given to me. Only the ones I've changed my mind about, and the ones who decide to...retire."

That didn't make him feel any better about this, but he mentally thanked Him for the attempt.

"So...if I were to be under your employment, what would you have me do?"

The Composer- _Yosha_ , he reminded himself- shrugged, or, _appeared_ to shrug? All Neku had to go off of were images of facial and bodily expressions being sent into his head, and he wasn't sure if they were His or not.

"Well, I _was_ considering having you replace my current Conductor- Megumi's gotten a little...stale for my tastes- however...I don't really like sharing."

Neku had a feeling he wouldn't like where this was headed.

"So, I've decided to have you work with Sanae instead, as assistant to my high priest."

And indeed, Neku found himself dreading even the thought of doing _that_. To be a priest would mean pledging himself- mind, body, heart, and soul- to the divine being before him, but he couldn't do that! He was already devoted to-

 _Devoted to who? Who was it you've already pledged yourself to?_

 _It was Jo-_

"And what if I refuse to work for you?"

Another chuckle, and the expression a parent might take on when talking to a child about something petty.

"Come now, you already know that doesn't matter. Because I'm a god- even more powerful than the Angels themselves- and you're still a human. Still mortal- though if you accept my offer, that could be easily changed."

"I happen to _like_ my mortality, thanks." Neku said somewhat indignantly.

Another shrug, along with a nonchalant wave of His hands.

"Then keep it, I suppose. But you're mine now,Sakuraba Neku- you became mine as soon as you set foot in Shibuya- and I don't tolerate defiance- least of all yours. As of now, you will be assisting Sanae with his duties."

An unspoken threat lingered in the air, curling around Neku's shoulders like a cat.

"...As you wish, _Composer_ ," Neku ground out. Then, not trusting himself to avoid digging an even deeper hole, he turned and stormed out of the room.

"Soon, you'll see things my way, Neku- I can promise that."

OoO

Having left the Room of Reckoning, Yosha's words echoing in his head, Neku came across a relatively wide hallway, with only one door on either side. The one on the left was wide open- like an invitation.

Neku peeked inside and found that not only was it empty, but also that his clothes- all of them, not just the ones he'd taken off earlier- were folded and stacked neatly on the bed inside.

This must've been his room, then.

Neku walked inside and shut the door- just a little bit harder than he probably should've, but oh well- then began exploring it a little more.

The walls were white, with a single purple stripe running around the perimeter. The bed was made of cherry wood, and the sheets and comforter were as soft as the clothes he was currently wearing, except they were a pale blue. The blanket was thick and fluffy, the same purple as the wall stripe, with bright orange cats depicted in various poses along it. Three framed pictures were hung up on the wall.

The first was of Yosha holding a cornucopia. Above Him, contrasting against the blue sky, white text read, "Praise Him, for He gives us sustenance".

The second was also of Yosha, holding an elegant sword as He overlooked a dark battlefield. Grey text read, "Praise Him, for He gives us safety".

The third was also of Yosha- predictably- but this time, cradling a skull in a field of clouds. Black text read, "Praise Him, for He gives us life".

The wardrobe, also made of cherry wood, was filled with white and gold robes, with a wing pattern running along the hems, and a single skull on the back of each one. There was also a single white hooded cloak, and, taped to the inside of the right door was a list of reasons to 'worship and praise the Composer'. There were two large drawers at the bottom, below the doors of the wardrobe, for him to put the rest of his clothes in. Stashed away in the top one was a thick black book (which Neku found to be a sort of bible when he skimmed through it) and in the bottom one there was a very expensive looking rosary. Somehow, Neku doubted he'd ever use it.

It was as if whoever had decorated his room had tried to suite it to his tastes with nothing but his name and a single outfit to go off of, and then tried to not-so-subtly insert subliminal religious messages into everything.

It was like trying to combine Pegaso with Jupiter of the Monkey, or Angelique Lapin with Mus Rattus. It just didn't work.

But he supposed it was...tolerable.

There was a desk that his phone and headphones had been placed on, along with a matching chair. There were three drawers built into it; the top was filled with various pencils and art supplies (even paint); the middle one was stuffed with blank sheets of paper, for drawing or painting on, presumably; the bottom drawer was filled with blank music scores, just waiting to be filled in with notes and lyrics.

In a way, it was like an invitation- to create art and further expose his soul- and Neku was half tempted to take it, because art was calming and soothing, and he needed to calm down a little.

But before he could do that, there was a knock on the door.


	4. Chapter 4

"...I see..."

The Composer of Tin-Pin-Land said, sounding just as old by angelic standards as his RG form was by RG standards.

The three of them- Joshua, Ken Doi, and Blue (Sanae had been more or less ordered to make amends with his alternate self)- were in the Room of Reckoning. Joshua was trying to get Ken Doi's help in the search for his Neku. As for why this version of Neku was here...well, they had similar enough auras that Ken Doi would be able to get a feel for _his_ Neku, wherever in the multiverse he might be.

(Also leverage, because apparently it was a multiversal law that every world's Composer would have some small soft spot for their world's Neku.)

"Well, I'll see what I can do to find him, but I can't guarantee anything."

Joshua gave his fellow deity a smile.

"Just that you're trying and willing to help is enough, I'm sure. Otherwise I'm sure I can call in some favors."

With an acknowledging nod, Ken Doi turned his attention to Neku.

"Neku, may I take your hand?"

The teen hesitated before nodding and holding out his wrist. Whatever he could do to help this somehow even snottier Joshua get out of his hair faster.

OoO

Neku opened his bedroom door to reveal Mr. H. He'd taken off his white cloak, so Neku could see he was wearing black slacks and a loose, white button down shirt.

Somehow, Neku was expecting someone else.

 _But who else would even know to see you?_

In his mind's eye, he saw a flash of amethyst.

He pushed it back to the corners of his mind and stepped aside so Mr. H could enter.

"Hey there, Neku. So...did it go okay?"

Neku shrugged and sat down on his bed.

"It went...well enough, I guess. I'm still here, right?"

Mr. H sighed and made himself comfortable on the chair in front of the desk.

"You don't sound all that happy about that, Phones."

Now it was Neku's turn to sigh.

"That's cause- well, it's not exactly that I'm _unhappy_ , but...have you ever had that feeling that you've forgotten something important, and that something really bad could happen if you don't remember it soon?"

Mr. H hummed. "You could say that...but what is it you think you've forgotten?"

"It's...someone who is- or was?- important to me. I don't know who they are, but it's that memory of them that keeps me from wanting to work with the Composer. And besides that, I..."

"Don't belong in this world," Mr. H finished for him.

Neku nodded his head. "Yeah. That's exactly it. Also He just...rubs me the wrong way. It's like just talking with Him sets me on edge and brings out a darker part of myself. Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah, it does..." Mr. H said with a thoughtful expression.

There was the sound of a tiny bell ringing- a lighter gong sound, almost like a cowbell but more held out. Mr. H got up and went to the door. Peering around him from his spot, Neku could make out an animal that looked something like a frog, but bigger and more colorful than anything Neku could remember seeing before. It was laying on its belly, buckled beneath the weight, Neku saw as Mr. H grabbed an empty tray off its head, of a tray laden with food on its back.

"Guess it's dinner time," the older man said with a shrug as he began to spoon half of everything from the frog's tray to the other.

Neku's stomach grumbled in agreement as the savory scent of cooked meats and vegetables reached his nostrils, but he wasn't entirely sure if he felt up to eating. But it didn't look like his new co-worker (senior? Superior?) was going to leave anytime soon, and he might worry if he didn't eat.

Neku took the tray he was offered, and Mr. H took the other one off the frog's back.

Neku took a tentative bite of roast beef and hummed appreciatively. Even though Beat's cooking was better by far (made with love and a generous amount of creativity) this was also good.

"Hey, Neku..."

Neku looked up to Mr. H, who'd returned to the desk. "Yeah?"

"How about a story while you eat?"

 _A story? What, does he think I'm some sort of kid? Whatever. Got nothing else to do._

"Sure."

Mr. H swallowed a mouthful of meat and potatoes, then took a sip of water.

Then began to speak...

OoO

"Once upon a time, there was a kid named Kiryuu Yoshiya.

Yoshiya was...a special kind of kid. He lived in Old Shibuya- a place that existed millions of years before this Shibuya, where those who died were forced to fight amongst themselves and amongst the physical manifestations of humanity's negativity for the right to exist."

This sounded familiar...

 _But where have I heard this before? And that name...I know that name..._

"Yoshiya, despite being very much alive, was able to see all of this clearly, even though no one else could. And he actually had fun watching it all happen. He was happy to sit outside every day and watch the ghosts of the deceased fight for their lives. And then one day, he saw a certain boy- no one he recognized, but someone who he found he didn't want to see die."

 _But he killed him anyway at that mural with a gun and-_

"All the other ghosts had people partnered with them, to make things easier, but this boy was all alone. Surely, he'd cease to exist in only a matter of minutes."

 _-how do I know that? That is..._

"So Yoshiya, who'd grown fond of him, came up with the idea to kill himself so that he could protect the boy. However, it wouldn't be through a partnership- for he'd seen how pairs were forced apart when one of them did just a little better than the other."

 _Like Shiki...except Shiki never died, so how could that have happened to her?_

And in his head, Neku saw Eri- Eri, holding _Shiki's_ cat plush, and wearing clothes that didn't exist in this world, where everyone wore plain and simple matching cotton outfits.

 _So how..?_

"So Yoshiya, after killing himself, challenged the then-ruler of the post-death game- and won, effectively taking his place. And then, he destroyed the game. The only ones left were himself and the fragmented souls of the other players. Of the boy he fell in love with."

 _This sounds kinda familiar, too...oowww...this is making my head hurt!_

"And Yoshiya discovered that he'd gotten certain powers- _godly_ powers. Powers enough to repair a shattered soul. So, he repaired the other boy and brought him back to life, in the new Shibuya he'd created just for him, and kept him from feeling sorrow or loneliness, by erasing those manifestations that tried to latch onto him."

 _Noise...noisy Noise..._

"Gradually, those fragmented souls reformed and merged with others to fill up the new Shibuya, and under Yoshiya's protection, the boy led them to an era of peace and prosperity. But then, there came a man with darkness in his heart. This vile man brought with him an army of strange monsters that were borne from the darkness in people's hearts, and fed on the remaining light."

The pain was fading now, along with the static.

"And although Yoshiya was able to defeat them, the darkness in his heart, also took on a physical form, and slew him, gaining all of his divine powers and, more importantly, his memories. He cut off the lesser ties Yoshiya had to humanity by taking on the name Yosha, and forcing everyone to build temples and statues, and even kill in his name. But even then, in all that darkness, he was still Yoshiya, and so he loved the same boy Yoshiya did- but that love had become dark and twisted, and by that time, the boy had long since grown into a man, and then died and ascended to Heaven to be reincarnated into a new body."

Neku leaned forward, the ache in his head gone and his food all but forgotten.

"When Yosha found out, he was outraged, and swore that he'd do whatever it took to get that boy back, and in a position where he would never be able to part from him- whether it was to ascend or descend. For that purpose, he would grow stronger and stronger till not even the Angels could defeat him."


	5. Chapter 5

Neku stared at Mr. H dumbly, his appetite gone, as some tiny mental mechanism tried to figure out why the older man would tell him such a story.

No doubt there was a good amount of truth to it, so maybe he was trying to change Neku's opinion of Yosha the Godly Dick, but... there had to be more to it than that. And he had a feeling he knew _exactly_ who the poor boy was whom Yoshiya/Yosha had apparently loved.

 _But I'd better make sure still, just in case..._

"So..." Neku began at last, "...that was a not-so-nice story, Mr. H, but...what's the real story behind it? Why'd you tell it to me?"

The high priest smiled cryptically and stood up, taking his plate with him.

"Now, why're you askin' me, Phones? You already know why. And you already know who that boy was, too, I bet. But I'm gonna let you in on a little secret-" he bent down so he was looking at Neku like an overindulgent grandparent might look at a child while 'sneaking' a piece of candy into their hands, "-when the Sakuraba Neku of this world was reincarnated, his soul was altered, and it's been further altered and changed countless times over the last few centuries with every reincarnation. Sakuraba Neku died for good as soon as he ascended. His soul is no longer 'Sakuraba Neku', and never will be again. Understand?"

Neku nodded his head.

"Good. The trick is making Him see that."

And with that, Mr. H straightened himself and casually breezed out of the room, only pausing at the doorway to speak over his shoulder;

"When you're finished eating, just leave your dishes outside. Someone'll get'em."

And then he was gone, leaving Neku to chew on the new information- along with whatever food he could maybe force down- in silence.

OoO

In the Room of Reckoning, amidst the glitter and gold and jewels of His personal paradise, the Composer was lounged upon His throne, in thought.

The Neku He'd seen was snarkier than He remembered- or rather, than _Yoshiya_ remembered- but that was of little consequence to Him, because finally, after _centuries_ of waiting, he was _here_ , back at His side, where he belonged. And this time, there would be no Ascension for him. No reincarnation. Not even the slimmest chance for him to leave again.

Because He was a being of pure darkness- wrath and lust and pride and sloth and gluttony and greed and envy all in one divine form- but with him, with His Neku, He felt as if He had a heart again. To Him, that was love and all it entailed- the feeling of _light_ and of _power_ that came from being with that special person.

But in a heart made entirely of darkness, there is no room for such light feelings as love.

Only _obsession_.

OoO

The Composer of Tin-Pin-Land took His Neku's wrist and studied carefully the aura emanating from the boy, taking in the kaleidoscope of blues and purples that made it up, and memorizing the piano and drums and bass guitar (all played in an anxious _fortissimo_ ) that converged into his music all in a matter of seconds.

In a way that some might consider abrupt, He released Blue's wrist and stepped back.

"I will search through the Astral Plane, and look into various worlds through it for as far as I can, until I find your Conductor. Please, be quiet."

Joshua, more out of anxiety, kept his mouth shut. Blue followed his example, mostly out of curiosity and a somewhat hidden eagerness to see what would happen.

Ken Doi, still in his Composer form, sat on His throne and closed His eyes. The gentle white glow that'd surrounded Him intensified, and Blue had to put a hand over his own eyes to keep from going blind. He almost missed how six pairs of narrow white wings sprouted from His back.

And then, they waited...

OoO

To be in the Astral Plane is to view one's world (and however many other worlds one's power allows them to see) through a rose colored tint. It is certainly more energy efficient, in that it costs significantly less to _see_ other worlds than to travel to them, however, it is not a plane that can be accessed directly. To get there at all, one must use enough energy to sustain their form both there and in whatever world their physical body is in.

For Ken Doi, this is hardly a challenge. And so, the Composer expands His sight, and peers through the various worlds as His eyes adjust to the rosy tint.

He sees worlds close enough to His own that they still look similar. In these, Sakuraba Neku still exists, but his soul is not as bright- not as powerful, or musical, or Imaginative- as the one He's looking for. So He expands His sight further.

The worlds no longer look quite so similar to His, and in many of them, Sakuraba Neku is present only in the UG, as some sort of Reaper, or even a Game Master- unlike Joshua's Neku, who is still very much alive and present in both the UG _and_ the RG. There are a few where Sakuraba Neku was Erased- either by the Composer, or the Conductor. In one, he didn't rack up enough points as a Reaper, and simply faded away on his own.

Ken Doi strained Himself to search even further.

He saw worlds so far up from His that they no longer looked similar. Some were masses of dense foliage and wilderness. Others were extremely high-tech, advanced places. In most of them, Sakuraba Neku had long since died and either Ascended or had been Erased.

There was only one where Sakuraba Neku was still alive.

The Shibuya of that world- or what little of it He could make out with his blurring vision- was enclosed in a circular space, with a large palace at its center, and many trees all around it. And, as He strained Himself further, and peeked into the palace, as spots started to appear in His vision, He saw the Sakuraba Neku He was searching for, and very briefly felt his Imagination-

And was promptly tossed out by something He could only describe as _darkness_.

OoO

Abruptly, Ken Doi returned to his RG form and fell forward off his throne. Blue rushed to support him, even though he was able to catch himself and avoid hitting his head.

Not like it really mattered in the grand scheme of things- since he was the god of this world- but it was the thought that counted.

"Hey! What the heck happened there?"

Huffing, exhausted and exerted, Ken Doi looked up at Joshua.

"...I found him...I...I found him, but...but...there was...there was something...something very dark, that doesn't...doesn't want him found..."

At this, Joshua looked concerned, and Blue immediately worried. It was rare to see Joshua- even Pink- look so genuinely concerned for someone besides himself.

"I see..." he said after a moment, "and whatever- or whoever- this was, they were able to knock you all the way back here and into the RG."

Ken Doi nodded his head.

"You were right to say your Neku was powerful- I could feel his Imagination even on the Astral Plane. But I could only do so briefly. Whatever force is at work clearly doesn't want to give him back to you, and at the moment, neither of us can pop in to take him back."

Now Joshua looked contemplative.

"Well then, I suppose we have no choice but to call in some...reinforcements."


End file.
